Hand loom



May 20, 1941. M. Q ,GALLINGER HAND LOOM Filed NOV. l2, 1938 Patented May 20, 1941 HAND LOOM Milo 0. Gallinger, Hartland, Mich., assignor to J. Robert Crouse, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application November 12, 1938, |Serial No. 239,963

4 Claims.

The invention relates to hand looms and, in its preferred embodiment, to small looms of the type having a rectangular frame aro-und which the Warp thread is continuously wound from end to end of the frame and which is designed to be wholly or partially supported on a table or the like during weaving.

An object of the invention is to provide a loom of the character referred to which, though having a multiple heddle bar harness and capable of Weaving fairly complicated patterns, is very simple in construction, easy to operate and susceptible of being manufactured at low cost.

yThe invention has, as more specific objects ancillary to the foregoing general objects, the provision of a simplified and easily operable heddle harness and the provi-sion of a simple but effective and conveniently operable Warp tensioning device.

A further obj-ect of the invention is to provide a loom of the type referred to having an improved frame structure.

With the recited objects in view, the invention consists in certain structural features and combinations of parts set forth and explained in the following description with reference -to the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the improvements.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan View of a loom embodying the improvements.`

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isa right side elevation of the loom.

Fig. t is a front elevation of the loom.

Fig, 5 is an lenlarged detail view of one of the heddles associated with its heddle bar and a warp thread. l

Fig. 6 is ia view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of heddle.

Referring in detail to the construction illustrated, the frame of the loom comprises a rigid rectangular section designated as an entirety by the numeral I and having side bars 2 and i3, a front transverse bar or beam 4 and a rear transverse bar or beam `5, the transverse b-ars being rigidly secured to the ends of the side bars 2 and .3 by screws or the like as shown. The rigid frame section further has a panel-like bottom wall 6 which has its side edges engaging grooves A:in the side bars 2 and 3, as shown in Fig. 4,

and which is embraced at its ends by the .tr-ansverse bars 4 and 5, so as to constitute a part of the rigid frame section I.' The upper surface of the bottom wall i6 of the frame is painted or ends of the rod. The front ends of the radius arms 1 and 8 are pivotally connected to the rigid frame section I near the lower rear corner thereof by means of a transverse metal rod .I2 which passes through the apertures in the arms 'I and 8 and is secured by nuts I3, lf3 on its en-ds.

The warp-tensioning frame section is held in adjusted position by means of a transverse metal rod I4 which has its ends extending through vertical slots 2a and 3a in the side bars 2 and 3 of the frame so as operatively to engage' series of teeth 'Ia and 8a formed on the peripheries o-f radius arms 'I and 8, respectively. The rod I4 is held in operative position in the slots 2a, 3a by means of guards I5 in the form of rubber tube sections which are slipped over and frictionally securedontherod when it is passed endwise through "the said slots. As Will be seen from a comparison of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the teeth 1a, `8a are inclined on their rear sides and on their front sides radially formed in relation t-o the pivot rod I2 so that the tension rod 8 can be forced downward and rearward by simply grasping the radius arms I and 8 and pressing them downward and rearward, the detent bar I4 riding up over one or more of the teeth la, 8a to permit such movement and nallyresting against the front radial sides of a pair of the said teeth to hold the tension fr-ame in adjusted position.

The loom is fitted with an improved heddle harness which comprises a plurality of heddle bars If6 (the harness sho-wn having four such bars) Iand series of metal heddles II, I I which, in the preferred form, may consist of a standard form of wire paper clip, `as shown in Fig. 5. The heddle bars I'S .are in the form of straight sections of round metal rods and are operatively associated with the frame section I by engagement near their ends in slots I8, 'I8 formed in the frame side bars 2 and 3. Each of the slots has an upright branch I8a and a lateral branch IBb, ythe upright branches serving to guide the up-and-down movements of the heddle bars in upright paths and the lateral branches Ib serving to hold the heddle bars in depressedpositions. Each of the heddles I'I comprises a semicircular top loop or bend IIa which is adapted to embrace :a warp thread and a similar bottom loop or bend Ilb which embraces a heddle bar so that the latter holds the heddle from turning about its longitudinal axis. The heddle bars are secured against displacement from their guide slots by guards IBa, Ilia of rubber tubing which are held on the ends of the bars by frictional engagement, as in the case of the guards I5 of the detent rod I4.

To prepare my improved loom for weaving, the warp tension bar 9 is released by lifting the detent bar I4 and swung upward and forward as far as it will go. The warp thread w is then continuously wound around the frame from end to end thereof in the known manner, the passes of the warp being evenly distributed by the use of a reed or comb device, if desired, in accordance with known practice. The ends of the warp thread having been secured, suitable working tension is then set up in the warp by acljusting the tension roller 9 downward and rearward in the manner previously explained. The warp threads are then threaded through the heddles El. This may best be done by removing the guards Ilia from the heddle bars I6 at one side of the frame so that the heddle bars can be removed and the heddles stripped therefrom. A heddle Il is then passed over each warp thread so that it will be supported on the thread with its loop I'Ia engaging the thread and its loop I'lb depending. Each of the heddle bars I6, I8 is then reinserted and operatively connected with heddles by having one end passed through a guide slot Ill in one of the side bars and passed successively through the bottom loops I'Ib of selected heddles I'I, the selection of the group of heddles for each heddle bar being determined by the nature of the pattern to be woven, as will readily be understood. When the unguarded end of the heddle bar has been passed through the last of the selected heddles it is passed through the guide slot I8 of the other side bar of the loom frame and secured by the attachment of its guard tube IGa.

The loom is now ready for weaving and, using the usual hand shuttle and a comb device in lieu of a reed and beater, the weaving proceeds in a manner which will readily be understood by those familiar with the hand weaving process, the shed of the warp threads being formed by successively depressing one or a. plurality of the heddle bars I5 so that a part of the warp threads remain in their normal upper position while certain groups of the threads are drawn downward, as indicated in Fig. 2, by the depression of certain of the heddle bars I6. In depressing the heddle bars to form the shed the operator simply grasps the rubber guards Ia on the ends of the heddle bars, presses the latter downward and moves them forward into the slot sections Ib so that the desired groups of warp threads are held in depressed position while the shuttle is passed through the warp from one side to the other. Thereupon the depressed heddle bars are released and others are lowered, and so on in accordance with the usual operation in weaving.

In the operation of looms of the type here in question, the endless web of warp threads is intermittently slipped forward around the frame, the woven cloth being thus moved from the top of the frame around its front end to the bottom thereof to make way for additional cloth as the weaving progresses. To permit this periodic ad- Vance of the warp and woven cloth, it is necessary or at least highly desirable to reduce the tension of the warp threads and with my improved construction this is easily and quickly effected by grasping one of the arms 'I and 8, lifting the adjacent end of detent rod I4, and turning the swinging arm upward, and then repeating the same operation with the other swinging arm. This removes the tension upon the web of warp and cloth so that the web can be advanced as desired and then the tension upon the web can be quickly restored by simply pressing downward and rearward on both of the arms 'I and 8 until the desired tension is had, the parts being held in adjusted position by the automatic action of the detent rod I4 which rides over the inclined sides of the teeth 'Ia and 8a. and drops into the final desired locking position.

Hand looms of the type to which my present invention relates, as far as I am advised, have been made with open rectangular frame structures. In the use of these looms it has been found, especially where white material is being woven, that the combined surfaces of the web or warp threads or cloth extendingacross the bottom of the frame from end to end thereof and of the web of warp threads extending across the top of the frame, often reflect light into the eyes of the weaver in a manner which is quite trying. To overcome this difficulty I have constructed the frame of my improved loom with the bottom wall 6 which, as previously explained, has its top surface painted or otherwise formed with a nonglare surface, as for example by coating with paint of a dull or soft green color. This soft, dull surface is substituted for the glaring surface of the bottom web of warp threads and cloth and the glaring eiTect upon the eyes of the weaver is greatly reduced. In addition, the provision of the bottom wall 6 for the frame structure converts the latter in effect into a tray which serves to conveniently hold supplies or implements used by the weaver.

In Fig. 6 of the drawing I have shown a modified form of heddle in which the heddle I9 which is made from wire is formed with a top loop I9a which can readily be slipped over the warp thread and with a bottom loop |91) through which a heddle bar or rod I6 can readily be passed. In this modified form of construction, as well as that shown in Fig. 5, the heddle bars serve to hold the heddles from turning into positions that would result in their mutual interference.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the construction of my improved loom is exceedingly simple and susceptible of production at low cost and that the manipulation of the loom is easy and convenient both in applying the warp to the frame, in threading the heddles upon the warp threads and in operating the heddle harness and the tension device during weaving.

It will be understood that the various features of my invention can be embodied in structures varying in different respects from the specic constructions herein disclosed, the scope of the invention being indicated by the definitions of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a loom, a rectangular frame structure adapted in operation to have the warp thread wound continuously around it from end to end, said structure comprising in combination a rigid main section having side bars and transverse end bars connecting the side bars, an adjustable section having a transverse warp-engaging rod and a pair of radius arms connected respectively to the ends of said rod, means for pivotally connecting the radius arms to the rigid frame section at one end of the latter whereby the warp-engaging rod can be swung toward and away from the adjacent transverse end bar of the rigid frame section, and means .for holdingy the said arms and rod in diierent adjusted positions.

2. A loom as claimed in claim l in which the means for holding the radius arms and warpengaging rod in adjusted position comprise series of teeth formed on theV peripheres of the radius arms and a transverse rod mounted in slots in the side bars of the rigid frame section with its ends disposed to engage the teeth of the radius arms.

3. In a loom, a rectangular frame yadapted in operation of the loom to have the warp thread wound around it from end to end and transversely of the end members of the frame to form a continuous web with top and bottom sections thereof extending from one to the other of said end members, a vplurality of heddle bars disposed across the frame from side to side thereof, heddles connecting the heddle bars to the warp threads, and means for operatively holding the end parts of each of the heddle bars comprising two angle-shaped guide slots formed respectively in the two side members of Ithe frame and disposed in the zone between the -top and bottom web sections of the warp on the frame, each slot having a branch extending transversely of the said web sections and a lateral branch adapted to receive the heddle bar and hold it against movement in the other branch of the slot.

4. In a loom, a rectangular frame adapted in operation of the loom to have the warp thread wound around it from end to end and transversely of the end members of the frame to form an endless web with top and bottom sections thereof extending from one to the other of said end. members, a plurality of wire Aheddles` of which each is formed with a downwardly-opening top loop constructed to embrace a warp thread and support the heddle pendantly therefrom and with a bottom loop, a plurality of hedvdle bars disposed across the frame from side to side thereof in the zone between the top and bottom web sections of the warp on the frame with each of the bars extending through the bottom loops of a plurality of the heddles, -andmeans associated with the side members of the rectangular frame for holding the two ends of each heddle bar in depressed position for shed-forming purposes, said means being constructed to permit disengagement of the heddle bars therefrom so that said bars can be passed endwise through and Withdrawn from the bottom loops of the heddles.

M1110 O. GALLINGER. 

